# Joel Lev-Tov


## Posts

- [College Park Bikes: A profile](https://joellevtov.com/college-park-bikes-a-profile/)
- [Russian students struggle with identity amid war in Ukraine](https://joellevtov.com/activists-take-to-mckeldin-mall-to-demand-action-on-sexual-assault/): First published March 21, 2022 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Eve Sampson Julia Kallaur wears a necklace with her Russian name every day. For most of her life, the freshman criminology major struggled to reconcile her Russian identity with her American upbringing. When she found out Russia invaded Ukraine, she was distraught. “I’ve spent […]
- [Clarice performances highlight the future of livestream shows](https://joellevtov.com/clarice-performances-highlight-the-future-of-livestream-shows/): First published Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021 in Stories Beneath the Shell. When the University of Maryland shut down its campus on March 12, 2020, because of COVID-19, everything changed for opera professor Craig Kier. From one day to the next, he had to teach his students online. And have them perform online. Kier could teach […]
- [One UMD orchestra only plays music from games](https://joellevtov.com/one-umd-orchestra-only-plays-music-from-games/): First published Monday, Dec. 20, 2021 in Stories Beneath the Shell. Gaming music isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks about an orchestra. But that’s exactly what the University of Maryland’s Gamer Symphony Orchestra plays. “There’s a million orchestras that play Beethoven and a lack of general awareness of the artistry […]
- [UMD Journalism Students Feel Out of Place](https://joellevtov.com/umd-journalism-students-feel-out-of-place/): Reported for my News Writing & Reporting II Class, JOUR320. Senior journalism major Brandie Bland’s class was discussing how to cover situations without mentioning a person’s race about two months ago. She pointed out that communities of color are often written about in a dehumanizing way. Then her classmate chimed in. “There are people in […]
- [Iranian Students’ Foundation celebrates winter solstice in-person again](https://joellevtov.com/iranian-students-foundation-celebrates-winter-solstice-in-person-again/): First published Dec. 15, 2021 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Kara Thompson Over 360 people filled Riggs Alumni Center at the University of Maryland Saturday night, where the Iranian Students’ Foundation held a celebration to celebrate the winter solstice. Yalda, or Shab-e Chelleh, is a Persian holiday celebrating the winter solstice, which falls on […]
- [The indigenous student experience at UMD](https://joellevtov.com/the-indigenous-student-experience-at-umd/): First published Dec. 15, 2021 in Stories Beneath the Shell. By Grace Walker Native American students make up less than 1% of the over 40,000 students at the University of Maryland, according to the university’s Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Education. The American Indian Student Union has just five members, president Ayden Allston said. She said […]
- [Why agnostic and atheist Jews continue to identify as Jewish](https://joellevtov.com/why-agnostic-and-atheist-jews-continue-to-identify-as-jewish/): First published Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021 in Mitzpeh. Russell Schwartz decided that God isn’t for him. “That’s never really interfered with my ability to identify as Jewish,” the senior computer science and mathematics major at this university said. He’s not the only one. One in five Jews don’t believe in God, according to the Pew […]
- [A long way from home for international students](https://joellevtov.com/a-long-way-from-home-for-international-students/): First published on Nov. 23, 2021 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Hannah KennedyFor many University of Maryland students, Thanksgiving break is a highly-anticipated five days off of school spent with family and friends at home. However, for international students, traveling back to their home countries for a short amount of time is not a […]
- [Who cleans up the offerings to Testudo?](https://joellevtov.com/who-cleans-up-the-offerings-to-testudo/): First published Nov. 24, 2021 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Valeria González Montero As finals season creeps up University of Maryland students, the offerings to the Testudo in front of McKeldin Library are piling up. Students seeking good fortune on an exam offer Testudo a gift. But someone has to clear the gifts off […]
- [Día de los Muertos returns to UMD – in the wake of COVID](https://joellevtov.com/dia-de-los-muertos-returns-to-umd-in-the-wake-of-covid/): First published Nov. 7, 2021 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Nathalia Alvarez-Vaca Orange, purple, green, pink and blue brought Día de los Muertos — the day of the dead — to life in HJ Patterson Hall. Food, drinks, entertainment, an altar and live music were all provided as professors and students gathered to celebrate […]
- [Live theatre returns to UMD stage with “Little Women”](https://joellevtov.com/live-theatre-returns-to-umd-stage-with-little-women/): First published Oct. 27, 2021 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Andres Roa Live theatre returns to the University of Maryland on Oct. 28 with a new take on the Broadway favorite “Little Women” and updated safety guidelines. The musical marks the return of in-person theatre to the Kay Theatre at the Clarice Smith Performing […]
- [War in Ukraine hits close to home for some at UMD](https://joellevtov.com/war-in-ukraine-hits-close-to-home-for-some-at-umd/): First published March 3, 2022 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Eve Sampson Around 10 p.m. last Wednesday, sophomore computer science major Alan Elbert was preparing for bed. He checked Telegram, a messaging application he uses to stay up to date with Ukrainian news. He would never have imagined what he was about to read: […]
- [UMD students hold vigil for Ukraine](https://joellevtov.com/umd-students-hold-vigil-for-ukraine/): FIrst published March 4, 2022 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Eve Sampson Over fifty University of Maryland students – some Ukrainian and Russian – gathered in front of McKeldin Library Thursday evening for a vigil in support of Ukraine. The event aimed to bring campus attention to the nation’s plight.  “Slava Ukraini!” shouted members […]
- [Blue Light System Continuing Despite Outages and Declining Student Use](https://joellevtov.com/blue-light-system-continuing-despite-outages-and-declining-student-use/): First published Sept. 24, 2021 in Stories Beneath the Shell. By Molly Zatman The University of Maryland’s blue light system includes over 300 emergency phones stationed on and off campus for callers to directly contact the University of Maryland Police Department. Despite declining use, it will continue to operate.  Blue light calls can range anywhere […]
- [Dedicated maintenance man provides welcoming presence for UMD community](https://joellevtov.com/dedicated-maintenance-man-provides-welcoming-presence-for-umd-community/): First published Dec. 21, 2021 in Stories Beneath the Shell. Stanley Proctor is as close to a superhero as a maintenance guy can get. Timothy York, Proctor’s supervisor, said students and professors routinely request Proctor to fix whatever needs fixing.  “Stanley’s work ethic is like not too many people. I can give him any task […]
- [UMD enters second phase of more than decade-long Campus Creek restoration](https://joellevtov.com/campus-creek-restoration/): First published Wednesday, July 7, 2021 in the Diamondback. The Campus Creek at the University of Maryland, instead of providing a healthy ecosystem and serving as a home to aquatic animals, is home to water bottles and algae. Now, the university is fully restoring the creek, and experts said the restoration could again provide a […]
- [Behind the scenes, these employees ran the quarantine and isolation housing at UMD](https://joellevtov.com/behind-the-scenes-these-employees-ran-the-quarantine-and-isolation-housing-at-umd/): First published Wednesday, June 30, 2021 in the Diamondback. Donning an N95 mask, Mike Butler drove students from their dorms to their quarantine or isolation housing in his black Suburban, separated by plexiglass. Butler serves as the vice president of Special Events Medical Services, a medical transport company that provides emergency medical and ambulance services […]
- [MaryPIRG is pressing Wendy’s in fight against antibiotic overuse](https://joellevtov.com/marypirg-is-pressing-wendys-in-fight-against-antibiotic-overuse/): First published March 26, 2021 in the Diamondback. Students in the University of Maryland’s chapter of MaryPIRG are pushing Wendy’s to stop using antibiotics in their beef as part of an ongoing campaign to highlight antibiotic overuse — a system they say could impel the downfall of modern medicine. The initiative comes after McDonald’s, KFC, […]
- [UMD is failing to support Black faculty, leaders say](https://joellevtov.com/umd-is-failing-to-support-black-faculty-leaders-say/): First published Feb 26, 2021 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Jon Meltzer Despite the adoption of new programs to increase the number of Black faculty, the University of Maryland is failing to truly represent county and state demographics, campus labor leaders say. “The University of Maryland’s upper administration have a long history of [being] […]
- [Im Westen Bergisch Gladbachs nichts neues?](https://joellevtov.com/im-westen-bergisch-gladbachs-nichts-neues/): Warum ist die Einkaufsmeile Refraths so eintönig, geprägt von Filialen großer Ketten wie Rewe oder DM? Wird sich das jemals ändern? Von den Städten hört man, dass Läden ums Überleben kämpfen. Ein Laden folgt dem nächsten, niemand kann sich etablieren. Auf den ersten Blick scheint Refrath eine große Ausnahme. Der kleine, gut betuchte Ortsteil Bergisch […]
- [„Wachsende Akzeptanz“: dreißig Mal mehr Trans-OPs als 2005](https://joellevtov.com/wachsende-akzeptanz-dreisig-mal-mehr-trans-ops-als-2005/): Zuerst am 31.12.2025 in der Stuttgarter Zeitung erschienen.  Binnen zwanzig Jahren hat sich die Zahl geschlechtsangleichender Operationen mehr als verdreißigfacht, von 111 (2005) auf 3475 im Jahr 2024. Unsere Recherche beleuchtet mögliche Gründe für diese Entwicklung – und das Schweigen der Fachleute. Worum geht es? Transmenschen fühlen sich nicht dem Geschlecht zugehörig, in das sie geboren wurden. […]
- [„Menschen sollen leben dürfen, wie sie sind“](https://joellevtov.com/menschen-sollen-leben-durfen-wie-sie-sind/): Zuerst am 31.10.2025 in der Stuttgarter Zeitung erschienen. Ayrin Benu Beck ist nicht-binär und hat den Geschlechtseintrag unter dem Selbstbestimmungsgesetz ändern lassen. Beck ist 42 Jahre alt und lebt im Kreis Ludwigsburg. In diesem Gespräche spricht Beck mit der Transfrau Janka Kluge, 66, die in Stuttgart lebt. Kluge hat ihre Transition unter dem Transsexuellengesetz 1984 durchgemacht. Janka, wie […]
- [Selbstbestimmungsgesetz: w/m/d – aber es bleibt kompliziert](https://joellevtov.com/selbstbestimmungsgesetz-w-m-d-aber-es-bleibt-kompliziert/): Zuerst am 31.10.2025 in der Stuttgarter Zeitung erschienen.  Warum gibt es das Gesetz überhaupt?  Das Transsexuellengesetz von 1981 galt als überholt – unter anderem, weil das Bundesverfassungsgericht es in sechs Urteilen teilweise gekippt hat. Unter dem ursprünglichen Gesetz konnte der Geschlechtseintrag frühestens mit 25 Jahren geändert werden; Betroffene mussten sich unter anderem einer geschlechtsangleichenden Operation unterziehen, sich sterilisieren […]
- [Bielefelder Synagoge: Nach 38 Jahren kommt der Schlüssel zurück](https://joellevtov.com/bielefelder-synagoge-nach-38-jahren-kommt-der-schlussel-zuruck/): Vor 38 Jahren, am 9. November 1938, hat Marianne Bern als letztes die Bielefelder Synagoge abgeschlossen. Sie übte noch Orgel. Sie würde die letzte sein, die die Synagoge je betrat. In der folgenden Nacht, Reichskristallnacht, brannte diese Synagoge wie so viele andere nieder. Laut Bern war die Feuerwehr vor Ort, bespritzte und beschützte lediglich die […]
- [$250 tickets for passing school bus starting Nov. 4](https://joellevtov.com/250-tickets-for-passing-school-bus-starting-nov-4/): First published Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Starting Nov. 4, drivers who pass a stopped Baltimore County school bus with its stop sign out will pay $250, the Baltimore County Police Department announced in a Facebook post. Baltimore County Public Schools started adding cameras to its roughly 1,000 school buses to catch […]
- [No buyer for Dundalk Village shopping center](https://joellevtov.com/no-buyer-for-dundalk-village-shopping-center/): First published Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. The results are in — and nobody won. Bidding for 19, 41 and 63 Shipping Place, as well 18 Center Place and a building on Commerce Street in Dundalk’s historic town center started on Oct. 10 at noon and was scheduled to last until Oct. […]
- [Dundalk woman winning in one dog contest after another with rare breed](https://joellevtov.com/russian-salon-dog-breeder/): First published Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Kimberly Ballantine’s whole life is Russian salon dogs. It’s a rare dog breed all the way from the country that she and a few others across the country are working on introducing to the U.S. Rare barely captures it, though — there are only 12 […]
- [In photos: There's a new shed in town](https://joellevtov.com/in-photos-theres-a-new-shed-in-town/): First published Oct. 22, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Keith Taylor’s long-running quest to get a new shed for the Sparrows Point High School Athletic Boosters and a native pollinator garden to go with it is finally complete. It has a new shed for the athletic boosters, built by the Amish company Stoltzfus Structures and […]
- [Optimists celebrate 75th anniversary](https://joellevtov.com/optimists-celebrate-75th-anniversary/): First published Monday, Oct. 21, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Seventy-five years ago, on Oct. 14, 1949, the Optimist Club of Dundalk was born. Back then, Harry Truman was the president, the minimum wage was 75 cents per hour and a gallon of gas cost 27 cents. The club, which sponsors everything from the local […]
- [Activists elated, Tradepoint frustrated as Hart-Miller Island won't receive dredged material](https://joellevtov.com/tradepoint-hmi-cancelled/): First published Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Hart-Miller Island will not be where Tradepoint Atlantic places the material it dredges up from deepening its harbor. Community activists cautiously celebrated the announcement last week. Two council members and the county executive expressed disappointment. Tradepoint’s Aaron Tomarchio told the Eagle he was frustrated. “While […]
- [Don't fall for scams targeting older adults, police warn](https://joellevtov.com/dont-fall-for-scams-targeting-older-adults-police-warn/): First published Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Scammers want your money. Now. Don’t fall for it. That was Debby Chenoweth’s message at a Precinct 12 Community-Police Alliance meeting at the North Point Library on Monday. In her roughly 40-minute presentation, the police service officer outlined common scams targeting mostly older adults, including pizza […]
- [Crime is going down, Dundalk precinct chief says](https://joellevtov.com/crime-is-going-down-dundalk-precinct-chief-says/): First published Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. For the most part, crime is going down, Precinct 12 Captain Anthony DiCara said Monday. There’s been a spike in robberies, though, he said — 19 more robberies this year than there were last year. Aggravated assault, too, is up — 34 more cases this […]
- [Backbones of Edgemere VFW recognized in pavilion dedication ceremony](https://joellevtov.com/backbones-of-edgemere-vfw-recognized-in-pavilion-dedication-ceremony/): First published Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. The Edgemere Wells-McComas Veterans of Foreign Wars post managed to keep it a secret from Cathy and John Gistedt. The secret: On Saturday, the post dedicated its newly built pavilion to the two long-serving members of the post and its auxiliary. Minutes after the ceremony, […]
- [Where to trick-or-treat this Halloween](https://joellevtov.com/where-to-trick-or-treat-this-halloween/): First published Monday, Oct. 7, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Thursday, Oct. 17 Chesapeake Terrace Elementary School 6 — 8 p.m. At 2112 Lodge Farm Road in Edgemere. Friday, Oct. 18 Bear Creek Elementary 6 — 8 p.m. At 1601 Melbourne Road in Dundalk. Saturday, Oct. 19 Battle Grove Elementary School 12 — 3 p.m. […]
- [Edgemere woman gathers goods for Hurricane Helene victims](https://joellevtov.com/edgemere-woman-gathers-goods-for-hurricane-helene-victims/): First published Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. It all started with Stephanie Shaffer thinking that people needed some help in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation in eastern Tennessee and North Carolina. “I was helping a friend in need and I sent her 50 bucks and I was standing in Costco and I’m […]
- [In photos: Edgemere woman gathers goods for Hurricane Helene victims](https://joellevtov.com/edgemere-woman-gathers-goods-for-hurricane-helene-victims-2/): First published Oct. 5, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle.
- [Longshoremen strike ends with "tentative agreement"](https://joellevtov.com/longshoremen-strike-ends-with-tentative-agreement/): First published on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. The gates to the Port of Baltimore in Dundalk are no longer filled with striking longshoremen. A few trucks could be seen entering the complex. The International Longshoremen’s Association, which has been on strike since Tuesday at midnight, has reached a “tentative” agreement on […]
- [As longshoremen strike continues, Gov. Moore and Sen. Van Hollen visit Dundalk longshoremen](https://joellevtov.com/moore-van-hollen-longshoremen-visit/): First published Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. As the longshoremen’s strike against the U.S. Maritime Alliance group continues into its second day, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, both Democrats, briefly stopped by to support the workers. The International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents the longshoremen going on strike across the […]
- [Longshoremen go on strike in Baltimore](https://joellevtov.com/longshoremen-strike-begins/): First published Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. When midnight on Tuesday struck, the workers struck.  The longshoremen, who load and unload ships, started to chant. “What’re we gonna do?” “Shut ’em down.” “How much money do we want?” “All of it!” The scenes at the Port of Baltimore’s Dundalk Marine Terminal and […]
- [Gas prices climbed last week](https://joellevtov.com/gas-prices-climbed-last-week/): First published Monday, Sept. 30, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Gas prices surged last week, returning to prices resembling those in late August. Prices averaged $3.24 per gallon on Monday, a 23-cent increase from Sept. 23, according to Gasbuddy data. Prices climbed in Maryland as well, up almost 18 cents. Across the U.S., gas prices […]
- [Tickets for passing school buses to be issued come November](https://joellevtov.com/tickets-for-passing-school-buses-to-be-issued-come-november/): First published Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. A month ago, Baltimore County Public Schools started adding cameras to its roughly 1,000 school buses to catch drivers who failed to stop when the buses extended their stop signs. On the first day of school in late August, Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough […]
- [Clear backpacks might be coming to a school near you soon](https://joellevtov.com/clear-backpacks/): First published Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. At a community conversation about safety in Baltimore County schools on Thursday evening, Superintendent Myriam Rogers said she was open to exploring clear backpacks. “We are in full support of any school that wants to pilot clear backpacks,” she said at Catonsville High School, responding […]
- [The curious case of the condemned house that still hasn't been demolished](https://joellevtov.com/the-curious-case-of-the-condemned-house-that-still-hasnt-been-demolished/): First published Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. The house at 3617 Bay Drive in Middle River has seen better days. The wood panels are falling off, the stones that make up the house are crumbling and trees are growing inside the house. It’s barely visible from the road — a tree has […]
- [Maryland files lawsuit against Dali's owners](https://joellevtov.com/dali-lawsuit/): First published Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Maryland wants the money it’s spending to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the Dali crashed into it back. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced a lawsuit against the companies who own and operate the Dali, the ship that crashed into the Francis Scott […]
- [How and where to vote come November](https://joellevtov.com/how-and-where-to-vote-come-november/): First published Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Marylanders can vote early in-person, on Election Day, Nov. 5, in person, or by mail. Early voting starts Oct. 24 and continues until Oct. 31. Each center is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections. Early voting […]
- [Gas prices didn't move last week](https://joellevtov.com/gas-prices-didnt-move-last-week/): First published Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. In the Baltimore area, gallon of gas costed $3.01 per gallon on Monday, according to a Gasbuddy analysis. That’s a bit less than a cent cheaper compared to last week. Across the country, gas prices rose by about a cent, according to Gasbuddy, averaging $3.16 […]
- [Gas prices are falling — but might tick up soon](https://joellevtov.com/gas-prices-are-falling-but-might-tick-up-soon/): First published Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. The trend of gas getting cheaper continues.  On average, a gallon of gas costed $3.01 per gallon on Monday in the Baltimore area, according to a Gasbuddy analysis. That’s about 10 cents cheaper than last week’s average, which averaged $3.12 per gallon in the Baltimore […]
- [Plan to dredge Hart-Miller Island moving forward](https://joellevtov.com/plan-to-dredge-hart-miller-island-moving-forward/): First published Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Despite some community opposition, the plan to put dredged material from the bottom of Tradepoint Atlantic’s harbor on Hart-Miller Island seems to be moving full steam ahead. On Monday, at a meeting of the Hart-Miller Island Community Benefit Agreement Steering Committee, the conversation seemed to […]
- [Fundraiser for Dundalk house fire reaches goal](https://joellevtov.com/fire-fundraiser-reaches-goal/): First published Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Less than two weeks after an early-morning fire raged in a Dundalk house, killing an eight-year-old and nine cats, a fundraiser started for the Mars family has already exceeded its $30,000 goal. On Tuesday afternoon, over $31,000 had been raised for the family. Neighbor Zack Richardson has […]
- [Update: Teen charged with threatening Dundalk High released on bail](https://joellevtov.com/update-teen-charged-with-threatening-dundalk-high-released-on-bail/): First published Friday, Sept. 13, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. The 18-year-old who police say threatened Dundalk High School has been released on bond after being held in jail overnight. Judge Krystin Richardson  ordered his release, saying he presented a low risk to the community. He does not have a criminal history, judiciary records show. […]
- [18-year-old charged with threatening Dundalk High School](https://joellevtov.com/18-year-old-charged-with-threatening-dundalk-high-school/): First published Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. 18-year-old Montaz Andrew Napier-Wright has been arrested and charged with disturbing school operations and threatening mass violence against Dundalk High School on Thursday morning, court records show. Napier-Wright posted the threat against Dundalk High School on social media, according to Baltimore County Police Department press release. […]
- [Child dies after Dundalk house fire](https://joellevtov.com/child-dies-after-dundalk-house-fire/): First published Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. As neighbor Zack Richardson tells it, it was eerily quiet for such a dramatic night. Fire trucks lined Dunleer Road in the early hours of Wednesday, Sept. 4, but didn’t turn on their sirens. Had he not gotten up to feed his newborn, he said, […]
- [After a long summer, Soup for the Soul reopens in a new building](https://joellevtov.com/soup-for-the-soul-reopens/): First published Thursday, Sept. 10, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Soup for the Soul, which provides a free, hot meal and groceries every week, reopened Monday after a three-month hiatus to a crowd of around 60 hungry people grateful for a sit-down meal. The idea, said volunteer Jason Rampersad, better known as DJ Rampage, is […]
- [Dundalk gas station sells lottery ticket worth $50,000](https://joellevtov.com/dundalk-gas-station-sells-lottery-ticket-worth-50000/): First published Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. The Royal Farms gas station at 7701 German Hill Road in Dundalk sold a scratch-off lottery ticket worth $50,000, according to a press release sent by the Maryland Lottery. Between Sept. 2 and Sept. 8, the lottery paid out more than $31.3 million in prizes, […]
- [Local painter shows Dundalk's beauty in gallery](https://joellevtov.com/local-painter-shows-dundalks-beauty-in-gallery/): First published Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Sam Iaconi used be a surrealist painter, painting a mixture of reality and fantasy, like a painting of a child, food and blood dripping down from her lip and nose, holding a big spoon with three eyeballs above a silver bowl, perhaps made for scoops […]
- [Here's where Maryland is spraying to get rid of mosquitos](https://joellevtov.com/heres-where-maryland-is-spraying-to-get-rid-of-mosquitos/): First published Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Mosquito season is here (and has been here for a while). Here’s how the Maryland Department of Agriculture recommends you protect yourself: Not all mosquitos carry diseases, the agency emphasized in a press release sent on Sept. 3, but it says it’s best to minimize […]
- [210 years later, the Battle of North Point means family fun](https://joellevtov.com/defenders-day/): First published Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. 210 years ago, British troops landed on the shores of North Point. In a fierce battle, the British won the skirmish, but suffered a strategic setback — one of many to come. 210 years later, the Battle of North Point is a family-friendly celebration of […]
- [Nebraska-based company promised $73 million to design Key Bridge rebuild](https://joellevtov.com/nebraska-based-company-promised-73-million-to-design-key-bridge-rebuild/): First published Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Maryland has selected Kiewit Corp. as the company tasked with rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The cargo ship Dali crashed into the bridge on March 26 after losing power. Kiewit, based in Omaha, Nebraska, will start reconstruction next year, according to a press release […]
- [Man facing charges for yelling at police officer](https://joellevtov.com/charges-for-yelling-at-police/): First published Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. An Essex man is facing a 60-day prison stint and/or a $500 fine for yelling at police officers repeatedly. A police officer identified only as T. Kent in court documents stopped a gray Honda in Essex after not using a left turn signal when turning […]
- [In photos: Students return to the classroom in Dundalk and Sparrows Point](https://joellevtov.com/in-photos-students-return-to-the-classroom-in-dundalk-and-sparrows-point/): First published Aug. 27, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle.
- [Local artists show off talent at the Forge](https://joellevtov.com/local-artists-show-off-talent-at-the-forge/): First published Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Two Dundalk artists, one a high school rising sophomore at George Washington Carver Center for the Arts and Technology and one a special education teacher in Harford County, displayed their vivid art at the Forge on Thursday. Nuro Wooters, the sophomore, created sculptures and a […]
- [Plan to teach flying in Baltimore County slowly takes off](https://joellevtov.com/plan-to-teach-flying-in-baltimore-county-slowly-takes-off/): First published Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. There’s a shortage of plane mechanics, pilots and more. Maryland Del. Ric Metzgar wants to fix that by encouraging more students to study trades. “Not everyone is destined or can afford college,” read a press release his office sent out. So his office and Glenn […]
- [Is crime on the rise in Dundalk?](https://joellevtov.com/crime-trends-dundalk/): First published Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Take a look at the police blotter and it’s easy to feel like crime is everywhere. It feels like there’s burglary after burglary after assault after robbery. “You might want to reconsider moving here,” one Facebook user warned in the comments of a recent Dundalk […]
- [House bill aims to hold cargo ship owners accountable for Key Bridge collapse](https://joellevtov.com/house-bill-aims-to-hold-cargo-ship-owners-accountable-for-key-bridge-collapse/): First published Thursday, Aug. 15 in the Dundalk Eagle. A new bill in the U.S. House of Representatives would make the owners of the Dali cargo ship pay up to 10 times more for the damage the ship caused when it crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Court filings show that the companies who own and […]
- [Dundalk's American Legion running out of money and people](https://joellevtov.com/dundalks-american-legion-running-out-of-money-and-people/): First published Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Some see the American Legion, an organization for veterans, as nothing more than a place for old people to get together, drink and tell war stories. “That’s the furthest thing from us,” said Mark Phoebus, the bar and lounge manager at Dundalk’s American Legion branch. […]
- [Controversy swirls over plan to expand Tradepoint harbor](https://joellevtov.com/controversy-swirls-over-plan-to-expand-tradepoint-harbor/): First published Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Tradepoint Atlantic wants to expand so cargo ships can dock and unload there, not just at the Port of Baltimore. It has already found a business partner in the Mediterranean Shipping Company, the largest shipping company in the world, according to a Baltimore County press […]
- [In photos: Hurricane Debby batters the Dundalk community](https://joellevtov.com/in-photos-hurricane-debby-batters-the-dundalk-community/): First published Aug. 9, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle.
- [Turner Station residents try to heal community with prayer and history](https://joellevtov.com/turner-station-residents-try-to-heal-community-with-prayer-and-history/): First published Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. First, someone broke a window in Servant Courtney Speed’s house in Turner Station, the storied, historically Black neighborhood in Dundalk. The next day, another window was broken. The day after that, someone broke her back door and her back windows. They stole her son’s football […]
- [Dundalk High School students headed to prominent colleges](https://joellevtov.com/dundalk-high-school-students-headed-to-prominent-colleges/): First published Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. The 2025-2026 school year hasn’t even started, but many Dundalk High School varsity football players are getting offers from prominent universities across the country. Head Coach Tom Abel said this year’s team is “one of the most talented classes” he’s had in his six years […]
- [Long-serving Dundalk pediatrician turns 85](https://joellevtov.com/long-serving-dundalk-pediatrician-turns-85/): First published Friday, Aug. 2, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Dr. Cross O’Donovan ran a pediatric office on Dundalk Avenue for over 40 years. Now, he’s turning 85 and looking back at his career. “My favorite part was just dealing with kids and their families,” he said. “I spent a lot of time trying to […]
- [New cameras to issue tickets for passing stopped school buses](https://joellevtov.com/new-cameras-to-issue-tickets-for-passing-stopped-school-buses/): First published Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Drivers who drive past a school bus with an extended stop sign, which is illegal in Maryland, will soon have to pay up thanks to new cameras installed on the roughly 1,000 Baltimore County school buses. Drivers will pay a $250 fee if photographed passing […]
- [Volunteer firefighters put on parade in Edgemere](https://joellevtov.com/volunteer-firefighters-put-on-parade-in-edgemere/): First published July 31, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. Fire trucks with flashing lights, water cannons and fire cannons paraded down North Point Road in Edgemere Friday as the North Point-Edgemere Volunteer Fire Department put on its annual parade and carnival for Edgemere residents. Tim Pace, a volunteer firefighter at the Edgemere station, organized the […]
- [Voters to consider expanding County Council](https://joellevtov.com/voters-to-consider-expanding-county-council/): First published Tuesday, July 30, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. If voters approve it in November, Baltimore’s County Council will expand. Voters will decide whether the council should stay at its current size, seven members, or expand to house nine in a question on the November ballot after the County Council approved the referendum earlier […]
- [Police arrest man for July killing in Dundalk](https://joellevtov.com/police-arrest-man-for-july-killing-in-dundalk/): First published Friday, July 26, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. When police arrived at Colgate Elementary School on July 1, they found a 20-year-old dying from gunshot wounds. Baltimore County Police say Jamel Nation was shooting dice with others at the school. Around 8 p.m., two men, one with partially braided hair and a goatee […]
- [Police look for new clues in cold murder case](https://joellevtov.com/police-look-for-new-clues-in-cold-murder-case/): First published Thursday, July 25, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle. July 22, 1983 was a grisly day for the neighbor who went to check on Joseph Magaskie and his wife, Helen, after not hearing from them for a few days. The front door of the couple’s home in Dundalk was cracked open, according to Baltimore […]
- [Free meals will be available for children in summer](https://joellevtov.com/free-meals-will-be-available-for-children-in-summer/): First published Thursday, June 6, 2024 in the Frederick News-Post. Frederick is offering children free lunches on weekdays from June to August in seven places in Frederick and one place each in Brunswick and Walkersville. The city will not serve meals on June 19 and July 4, according to a city press release. The United […]
- [Business park near Ballenger Creek to replace landscaping business](https://joellevtov.com/business-park-near-ballenger-creek-to-replace-landscaping-business/): First published Thursday, June 6, 2024 in the Frederick News-Post. A new business park called Jefferson Exchange may replace a landscaping business along Jefferson Pike across from Jefferson Technology Park, according to records showing all planned development in Frederick County released Wednesday. The developer proposes to tear down the sheds, trees and office that make […]
- [Crash injures three, including a child, on U.S. 15](https://joellevtov.com/crash-us-15/): First published Thursday, June 6 in the Frederick News-Post. Two adults and one child sustained serious injuries in a crash involving two vehicles Friday morning on southbound U.S. 15 between Frederick and Thurmont, according to officials. One vehicle crashed into the side of another at Powell Road, according to Sarah Campbell, spokeswoman for the Frederick […]
- [All Frederick County employees must undergo DEI training, Fitzwater says](https://joellevtov.com/all-frederick-county-employees-must-undergo-dei-training-fitzwater-says/): First published Tuesday, June 4, 2024 in the Frederick News-Post. Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater said she wants the county to encourage and nurture diversity. She announced on Monday, that starting this year, all Frederick County employees — including her — must undergo diversity, equity and inclusion training, so they can understand themselves and the […]
- [Restrictions on chalking implemented to ‘beautify’ campus, UMD says](https://joellevtov.com/restrictions-on-chalking-implemented-to-beautify-campus-umd-says/): First published Jan. 23, 2024 in Stories Beneath the Shell. University of Maryland President Darryll Pines announced a new policy for chalking on Nov. 27. Overnight, students at the University of Maryland were prohibited from chalking in all but two places on campus: In front of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union and at Hornbake […]
- [Empty chairs on McKeldin honor Israeli hostages](https://joellevtov.com/empty-chairs-on-mckeldin-honor-israeli-hostages/): First published Nov. 12, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Daryl Perry Over 200 chairs. Over 200 hostages.  Each chair on the University of Maryland’s McKeldin Mall on Nov. 9 represented one person Hamas holds hostage in the Gaza Strip. Dina Bash, a senior psychology major, said she hoped that the event would remind people […]
- [Students demand cease-fire in Gaza at rally on Reichskristallnacht anniversary](https://joellevtov.com/students-demand-cease-fire-in-gaza-at-rally-on-reichskristallnacht-anniversary/): First published Nov. 10, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Sanya Wason “Free, Free Palestine!”  The chant echoed across Hornbake Plaza at the University of Maryland on Thursday as students supporting Palestine joined a walkout to demand a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip as the conflict entered its 33rd day. Israel launched the deadly […]
- [FACT CHECK: Were antisemitic slogans shouted at a UMD pro-Palestine event?](https://joellevtov.com/fact-check-were-antisemitic-slogans-shouted-at-a-umd-pro-palestine-event/): First published Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. CLAIM: Protesters at a pro-Palestine protest on Nov. 9 shouted antisemitic slogans and chalked messages calling for a second Holocaust. SBS ASSESSMENT: Partially true. Two eyewitnesses confirmed that students shouted slogans calling for revolution and event organizers confirmed that someone chalked a message reading […]
- [New exhibit highlights UMD student activism over last 100 years](https://joellevtov.com/new-exhibit-highlights-umd-student-activism-over-last-100-years/): First published Oct. 31, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Daranee Balachandar 2020’s racial reckoning drove university archivist Lae’l Hughes-Watkins to create a new collection highlighting activism on the University Maryland’s campus. Hughes-Watkins, an associate director at the university’s library department, said she wanted to highlight issues that have fallen out of the nation’s […]
- [Hundreds gather to mourn UMD student’s death](https://joellevtov.com/hundreds-gather-to-mourn-umd-students-death/): Reported with Kiersten Hacker. First published Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. Content warning: This article mentions death and loss. Resources for the University of Maryland community are listed at the end of this article. Flowers. Candles. Hugs. Singing. Offerings. A comfort dog. All these were on display as about 200 University […]
- [Clothesline Project returns weeks after campus chalking controversy](https://joellevtov.com/clothesline-project-returns-weeks-after-campus-chalking-controversy/): Editor’s note: This article references rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment and transphobic phrases. If you or someone you know needs support, help is available. The University of Maryland’s Health Center runs a 24-hour crisis line for assault survivors – call (301) 741-3442. A national hotline for survivors is available at (800) 656-4673. The 24-hour National […]
- [Fourth World Culture Festival gathers hundreds of thousands on the National Mall](https://joellevtov.com/fourth-world-culture-festival-gathers-hundreds-of-thousands-on-the-national-mall/): First published Oct. 13, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. By Jess Daninhirsch The fourth-ever World Culture Festival, organized by the Art of Living Foundation, offered a trip around the globe including meditation, performances and speeches for its roughly one million visitors without leaving the National Mall in Washington.  The three-day festival, which ran from […]
- [Sarah McBride ‘not running to be the trans representative in Congress’](https://joellevtov.com/sarah-mcbride-not-running-to-be-the-trans-representative-in-congress/): First published Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023 in the Washington Blade. Sarah McBride is running for Delaware’s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. If you ask her what the most important issues are for voters, she’ll tick off several things: The cost of education, prescription drugs, housing, fear of gun violence, fear of the […]
- [Questions remain after Rehoboth Beach marijuana ban](https://joellevtov.com/questions-remain-after-rehoboth-beach-marijuana-ban/): First published on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2024 in the Washington Blade. Want to light up in Rehoboth Beach, Del.? If you want to smoke a joint, you’re out of luck.Rehoboth Beach’s mayor and Board of Commissioners voted last week to ban the smoking of cannabis on public property within the city’s 1.6-square-mile limits – despite […]
- [Trevor Project in crisis amid financial woes, staff dissension, ‘union busting’: sources](https://joellevtov.com/trevor-project-in-crisis-amid-financial-woes-staff-dissension-union-busting-sources/): First published Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023 in the Washington Blade. (Editor’s note: This article contains references to suicide and self-harm. If you are having thoughts of suicide or are in crisis, call 988 to talk to a counselor or 911 for medical attention.) He was cutting himself and his mother was worried.  Whom should she […]
- [Rehoboth Beach to celebrate Pride July 13-16](https://joellevtov.com/rehoboth-beach-to-celebrate-pride-july-13-16/): First published Friday, July 7, 2023 in the Washington Blade. Is Pride month over? Not if you ask Tony Zacchei. He and his partner have organized a four-day Pride extravaganza in Rehoboth Beach, Del., complete with happy hours, dancing, and yoga. “I’ve been coming to Rehoboth since 1996 and I absolutely adore this town,” Zacchei […]
- [Delaware poised to become 17th state to ban LGBTQ panic defense](https://joellevtov.com/delaware-poised-to-become-17th-state-to-ban-lgbtq-panic-defense/): First published Friday, June 30, 2023 in the Washington Blade. It was an extraordinary week in the Delaware Senate, as a bill to ban the LGBTQ+ panic defense, in which a defendant claims they panicked and killed or injured a victim upon finding out the person was gay or transgender and receive a lesser sentence […]
- [Sarah McBride announces run for Congress](https://joellevtov.com/sarah-mcbride-announces-run-for-congress/): First published Monday, June 26, 2023 in the Washington Blade. After months of speculation and anticipation, Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride has announced her run for Congress. If elected, she would be the first and only transgender person in Congress. No other trans people have announced their run for Congress, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory […]
- [Delaware lawmakers seek to enshrine protections for gender-affirming care](https://joellevtov.com/delaware-lawmakers-seek-to-enshrine-protections-for-gender-affirming-care/): First published June 23, 2023 in the Washington Blade. Delaware residents who receive gender-affirming care and the doctors that provide it can breathe a sigh of relief if a bill aimed at protecting those who seek gender-affirming care and the doctors that provide it passes.  The bill, introduced by Rep. DeShanna Neal (D-District 13) last […]
- [Blunt Rochester makes it official: She’s running for Senate](https://joellevtov.com/blunt-rochester-makes-it-official-shes-running-for-senate/): First published Wednesday, June 21, 2023 in the Washington Blade. Walking slowly through the dramatically lit aisles of Philadelphia’s Bright Hope Baptist Church her family is well acquainted with, soft, jazzy piano music playing in the background, Delaware’s lone U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester announced that she is running for Senate, hoping to take over […]
- [Delaware bill would ban ‘gay panic’ defense](https://joellevtov.com/delaware-bill-would-ban-gay-panic-defense/): First published Thursday, June 15, 2023 in the Washington Blade. Delaware may soon become the 16th state to ban the LGBTQ panic defense, in which defendants claim they panicked after learning someone was gay or transgender and injured or killed the victim.  It’s been used five times in Delaware and more than 400 times across the […]
- [Rehoboth restaurant target of small Christian protest](https://joellevtov.com/rehoboth-restaurant-target-of-small-christian-protest/): First published Thursday, June 15, 2023 in the Washington Blade. A small group of Christian protesters performed a Catholic ritual outside of Rehoboth Beach’s The Pines on Saturday, where the restaurant was scheduled to host a drag fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.).  The six demonstrators, though, weren’t protesting the drag performers, nor […]
- [22 ways to celebrate Pride month in Delaware](https://joellevtov.com/22-ways-to-celebrate-pride-month-in-delaware/): First published Monday, June 5, 2023 in the Washington Blade. FRIDAY, JUNE 9 QUEER FILM: The Rehoboth Beach Film Society and CAMP Rehoboth kick off the three-day Pride Film Festival featuring 12 movies, ranging from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” to “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,” which explores author Giovanni’s life and six decades […]
- [Carper’s retirement opens historic possibilities in Delaware](https://joellevtov.com/carpers-retirement-opens-historic-possibilities-in-delaware/): First published Tuesday, May 30, 2023 in the Washington Blade. As Delaware governor, he signed a bill that defined marriage as being between a man and a woman in 1996. Now, 27 years later, the Human Rights Campaign gives Sen. Tom Carper a perfect score on LGBTQ issues in Congress.  That man, who turned from […]
- [University campaign for scooter safety slams into resistance](https://joellevtov.com/university-campaign-for-scooter-safety-slams-into-resistance/): First published May 9, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Olivia Borgula  The University of Maryland has launched an educational campaign to decrease unsafe riding practices. But a student group says this campaign will do little to prevent danger for micromobility users.  University vice president Carlo Colella and a team of students and staff […]
- [Why do we celebrate Cinco de Mayo?](https://joellevtov.com/why-do-we-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/): First published May 6, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Abigail Olear This month, many Americans across the nation will celebrate a holiday that they know nothing about. Cinco de Mayo, which translates to ‘the fifth of May,’ is celebrated annually across the United States.  The holiday is highly commercialized in the United States. […]
- [UMD’s Hidden Music Haven](https://joellevtov.com/umds-hidden-music-haven/): First published April 24, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Abby Olear  Through a side door and two floors above the University of Maryland’s South Campus Dining Hall lives 90.5 WMUC FM College Park radio, with a treasure trove of records.  No one knows quite how many records there are in the library, but […]
- [Journalism dean search: Many breathe sigh of relief as insider is picked to be next dean](https://joellevtov.com/journalism-dean-search-many-breathe-sigh-of-relief-as-insider-is-picked-to-be-next-dean/): First published Friday, April 21, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. Many Philip Merrill College of Journalism faculty and staff seemed to breathe a sigh of relief today as it became clear that Rafael Lorente will be the journalism school’s next dean, ending weeks of waiting and nail biting in the college.  In an interview […]
- [Shell Shocked: Why the rent is so damn high at UMD](https://joellevtov.com/shell-shocked-why-the-rent-is-so-damn-high-at-umd/): Reported for my Advanced Audio and Podcast Reporting class at UMD, JOUR364. I helped report this story, contributing data analysis and the interview with Dennis Passarella-George, the director of resident life at UMD. Nicole Blanchard and Aaron Wright reported as well. Grace Kpetemey and Mat Schumer anchored the episode. Julia Eisen was the executive producer. Molly […]
- [Journalism dean search: Associate dean says attracting more diverse students a top priority](https://joellevtov.com/journalism-dean-search-associate-dean-says-attracting-more-diverse-students-a-top-priority/): Part of a Stories Beneath the Shell series covering the appointment to dean of the University of Maryland’s journalism school. First published Thursday, April 6, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. He brought a cash-strapped University of Maryland journalism school badly-needed funding. He won the Scripps Howard Foundation’s grant for the college. He inspired the […]
- [Journalism dean search: North Texas professor envisions gateway degree](https://joellevtov.com/journalism-dean-search-north-texas-professor-envisions-gateway-degree/): Part of a Stories Beneath the Shell series covering the appointment to dean of the University of Maryland’s journalism school. First published Thursday, April 6, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. A journalism professor who briefly blipped on the nation’s radar in 2015 after being stopped for walking while being Black, as she put it, […]
- [Journalism dean search: Some raise concerns over candidate’s work for liberal think tank](https://joellevtov.com/journalism-dean-search-some-raise-concerns-over-candidates-work-for-liberal-think-tank/): Part of a Stories Beneath the Shell series covering the appointment to dean of the University of Maryland’s journalism school. First published Thursday, April 6, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. One of the first things Sam Fulwood, who is a finalist to become dean of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, said at his […]
- [Journalism dean search: Dean candidate brings experience in newsroom, but lots of controversial history](https://joellevtov.com/journalism-dean-search-dean-candidate-brings-experience-in-newsroom-but-lots-of-controversial-history/): Part of a Stories Beneath the Shell series covering the appointment to dean of the University of Maryland’s journalism school. First published Saturday, March 25, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. She’s doubled the number of reporters of color in her newsroom. She capitalized the “B” in Black before anyone else. She turned her newsroom […]
- [UMD powwow showcases Native ‘resilience,’ brings communities together ](https://joellevtov.com/umd-powwow-showcases-native-resilience-brings-communities-together/): First published March 14, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Olivia Borgula Early Saturday morning, Adele H. Stamp Student Union filled with organizers in matching T-shirts weaving between chairs, attendees greeting old friends and dancers carting hangers of regalia into make-shift dressing rooms next door. In the center of the room, a circle of […]
- [Joy on display at inaugural Black Prom](https://joellevtov.com/joy-on-display-at-inaugural-black-prom/): First published Feb. 27, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by James Matheson The Office of Multicultural Involvement Community Advocacy hosted its inaugural Black Prom Sunday in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union’s Grand Ballroom to celebrate the final days of Black History Month.  Students got to dine on beef wellington, dance in flowing ball […]
- [UMD students, staff mark first anniversary of Ukraine invasion with vigil](https://joellevtov.com/umd-students-staff-mark-first-anniversary-of-ukraine-invasion-with-vigil/): First published Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. In the midst of happy students basking in the unusually warm February weather, dozens of Ukrainian students were rather more somber, standing around the McKeldin Mall sundial to mark the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday. “It’s been a year of […]
- [Black Monologues event amplifies Black voices through poetry](https://joellevtov.com/black-monologues-event-amplifies-black-voices-through-poetry/): First published Feb. 21, 2023 in Stories Beneath the Shell. By Marissa Yelenik “Some people have the privilege to dress down, to have wilder hair colors, to have visible tattoos and still be perceived as ‘professional enough,’ I do not,” said senior biology and anthropology major Nina St. Hillaire, performing an entry from her journal.  […]
- [PSA from then to now: How the group has evolved and what it hopes to achieve](https://joellevtov.com/psa-from-then-to-now-how-the-group-has-evolved-and-what-it-hopes-to-achieve/): First published Dec. 16, 2022 in Stories Beneath the Shell. By Minnie Stephenson In 2015, McLaine Rich, a University of Maryland student at the time, was sexually assaulted. To make matters worse, she found out that she and someone else she knew had been sexually assaulted by the same person.  “I was like, OK, well […]
- [Computer Science Department Reckons With Sexist Culture](https://joellevtov.com/computer-science-department-reckons-with-sexist-culture/): First published Dec. 9, 2022 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Morgan Leason and Joel Lev-Tov More than three-quarters of the University of Maryland Computer Science Department’s undergraduate students are men.  “It feels like everyone will think you’re dumb,” said Arwen Ferro, a female sophomore computer science major. “Men in the department act like women […]
- [The Nine is overselling luxuries](https://joellevtov.com/the-nine-is-overselling-luxuries/): First published Oct. 15, 2022 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Lucy Hubbard A new luxury apartment building for University of Maryland students claims to “redefine luxury living.” But according to some residents, the luxuries are exaggerated – at best.  “They definitely tried to sell the apartment as much as they could,” junior marketing major […]
- [UMD restricts scooter parking, causing problems for some](https://joellevtov.com/umd-restricts-scooter-parking-causing-problems-for-some/): First published May 13, 2022 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Kirstin Nichols More than two months ago, the University of Maryland Department of Transportation Services said that Veo e-scooters and e-bikes may only be parked at designated e-scooter parking areas, bike racks, or covered bike parking areas.  It enforces that through a new geofence […]
- [How a Labyrinth Helps Terps Destress](https://joellevtov.com/how-a-labyrinth-helps-terps-destress/): First published May 12, 2022 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Fatema Hosseini Round and round, I walk through the labyrinth. At each turn of the labyrinth, my mind lets go of a stressful thought, and each turn of it brings in a comforting one. Feeling the wind ruffling through my hair on the University […]
- [UMD plans to include “X” as nonbinary gender mark option in IT system](https://joellevtov.com/umd-plans-to-include-x-as-nonbinary-gender-mark-option-in-it-system/): First published Tuesday, May 10, 2022 in the Diamondback. One letter can make all the difference for nonbinary students. The University of Maryland has committed to implementing an “X” gender marker — indicating that a person is neither male nor female — by 2026 as part of a huge overhaul of its student information systems […]
- [David C. Driskell Center unapologetically embraces Black art](https://joellevtov.com/david-c-driskell-center-unapologetically-embraces-black-art/): First published April 28, 2022 in Stories Beneath the Shell. by Kirstin Nichols Deep in the heart of the Cole Student Activities Building is a space dedicated to highlighting Black and African Diaspora art, the David C. Driskell Center.  “What the Driskell Center does is allows an individual to walk in regardless of their background […]

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